Make Me Understand
by ravenwingbeats
Summary: Having finally delivered a love letter successfully to Adrien, Marinette is heartbroken when she interprets his comment to Chloe incorrectly. Assuming all hope of romance with Adrien is dead, Ladybug begins to consider the possibility of a relationship with Chat Noir.
1. Chapter 1

_I'm intending for this to be a short story of only a couple of chapters but we'll see how it goes. Thank you for taking the time to read it :-)_

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Chapter One

Marinette licked the edge of the pink envelop and sealed it with a kiss. There would be no mix up this time, this love letter would get to Adrien. It had to!

After much thought, Marinette had decided the best way to get the letter to Adrien was by placing it in his locker. She wouldn't have to worry about a fumbled exchange or tripping over her own tongue as she tried to find the right words to express her feelings. This would be simpler and almost foolproof.

With hope buoying her steps, the girl practically danced her way to school and quickly made her way to the locker room. Once inside Marinette was pleased to discover the place empty. Yet she looked this way and that to make sure the coast was clear.

Easing the letter from her bag, she checked it one last time to make sure there was no mix up and triple checked that she had the correct locker. Tikki even did a sweep inside to confirm it was indeed Adrien's locker.

"Alright, this is it!" Marinette chirped as she slid the envelope through one of the slits and heard it drop inside.

It wasn't a moment too soon as the girl heard voices growing closer from outside. She scuttled to her locker and threw it open in the pretence of getting organised for the day. Her heart pounded as Adrien walked into the room but irritation quickly followed as she spied Chloe attached to his arm as they walked together.

As usual the brat was prattling on about herself and how unfair it was when she didn't get her way. Marinette rolled her eyes but made sure her face was hidden by her locker door before she did so.

Part of her had hoped that Adrien would be alone when he found her note. She just prayed that he didn't open the letter in front of Chloe. But before that could happen, Sabrina rushed in holding a wad of paper sheets in one hand. "I've got your homework done, Chloe!"

"About time," the brat snapped.

Adrien gave her a disapproving frown. "You really should do your own homework, Chloe."

"Why? Sabrina enjoys doing it." She flounced with a wave of her hand.

"It's cheating. Besides, you won't learn if you don't do your own homework." Adrien reminded her.

"Oh Adrikins, like it really matters. There are more important things in life than studying, like shopping and catching up on gossip."

The model let out a sigh and opened his locker. "Let's agree to disagree." But his attention was quickly diverted from the snooty brat as a pink envelop fluttered to the floor. "What's this?" he asked out loud as he bent down to pick it up.

"Ugh," Chloe groaned, "more love letters from your fans. Talk about a show of desperation."

Marinette bristled where she stood but managed to keep her lips sealed as she peeked through the slits of her locker door.

Adrien smoothed his finger under the back of the envelope and broke the seal, then tugged out the folded piece of paper.

Chloe grimaced. "Please tell me it's not spritzed with perfume."

The model lifted the paper to his nose and sniffed. "It's smells nice so I guess it's possible."

"Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous." Chloe snorted as she flicked her ponytail over her shoulder.

Adrien shrugged off her annoyance and unfolded the letter. Marinette watched as his green eyes skimmed their way down the page. His eyebrows lifted and a touch of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he continued downward but that smile faded as he reached the end. Quickly he folded the letter back together and pressed it into the envelope.

"The usual garbage?" Chloe asked with her nose lifted as if she'd smelt something particularly nasty.

There was a slight hesitation on Adrien's part as he glanced at the envelope before tucking it safely in his bag. "It was..." but before he could finish the bell rang cutting him off.

However, Marinette took his comment as complete. Her heart shattering in her chest at his words. Gathering her bag against her chest, she waited for the others to pool out the door before following. As much as she wanted to run home and cry, she knew she couldn't. She missed too much school with her duties as Ladybug. Instead she was going to have to put on a brave face and soldier on through the school day.

With her head down, Marinette hurried up to her classroom and quickly found her seat while purposefully ignoring Adrien on her way by. Alya was yet to arrive and at a quick glance Marinette noticed Nino was absent as well. She could only assume they were together. Some people had all the luck.

As she tugged her tablet free from her bag, Adrien spun around in his seat to face her. Clearing his throat, he greeted her. "Good morning, Marinette."

Forcing a smile, the girl lifted her head. "Hi Adrien."

"Thanks for the letter, it was really sweet."

But her mind immediately flipped to the comment he'd made to Chloe. She didn't believe he was sincere, just being politely kind. To protect her own pride she said, "Please don't take it seriously." She leaned in closer and whispered behind her hand. "It was a dare."

The model nodded his blonde head as if in thought and relief was evident on his face. "So, you weren't meaning the things you said for real?"

Marinette forced out a laugh and waved it off. "No. Don't get me wrong you're my friend but I know you like… Kagami." The words tasted bitter in her mouth but they had to be said. Chloe had eyed her briefly before looking bored and turning back to Sabrina.

Adrien's cheeks turned rosy at the comment. "Yeah. I should have realised you weren't serious. Especially since you helped me with that ice-skating date with Kagami." Shaking his head at his own supposed ineptitude, Adrien gave her a sheepish smile. "Thanks for clearing that up. By the way, what do you get for doing the dare?"

"Oh, um, I get to have a free ice cream from Andre's."

"Did Kim put you up to this?"

Marinette swallowed and looked over to the boy who lived for dares. "Uh…" But before she could answer Alya and Nino rushed into the room just seconds before Miss Bustier. Adrien spun around to face the front of the classroom, clearly wanting to avoid trouble while Alya and Nino quickly fished out their tablets for the lesson.

Inwardly in agony, Marinette pressed her lips together to stop the tell-tale quiver of oncoming tears. She would not cry in class, especially when she'd just convinced Adrien that nothing was wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for the reviews, favourites and follows - you're all very kind :-)_

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Chapter Two

In the three weeks since delivering her love letter to Adrien, Marinette began to face the painful truth. There would never be a relationship between them because he just wasn't interested in her that way. At school he behaved as normal, having no clue that he'd broken her heart and Marinette began to see him with new eyes. Ones free of the rose-tinted glasses.

It became obvious to her that Adrien treated her no differently to any of his other friends. He was kind and considerate but there were no underlying feelings of more. The touch of his hand on her arm or shoulder in conversation was simply his way. He wasn't flirting, he was merely a handsy person when he spoke.

Alya was the first to notice Marinette's waning interest in the model. The fact that her blue eyes were not glued to Adrien's presence at every convenient moment was proof enough. But what really cemented things was when the lady blogger visited her best friend and noticed that all but one of the Adrien posters in Marinette's room had been taken down. The remaining one was an artsy black and white shot of him wearing the bowler hat Marinette had designed.

"Did something happen between you and Adrien?" Alya asked as she settled on the mat to study with Marinette.

Letting out a sigh, Marinette explained what happened when she'd successfully delivered her love note to Adrien. Compassion shone in her best friend's eyes. "I understand why you claimed to have done it as a dare but maybe it would have been better to tell him the truth."

"It wasn't worth it, Alya. It was clear he was going to reject me. I didn't want the additional humiliation."

Alya nodded in sympathy. "Fair enough."

From then on, Alya had discouraged Nino from doing group activities with Adrien while Marinette pulled herself together. This meant that the remaining friends in her circle quickly discovered the truth and empathised. They all knew how utterly blind Adrien was to Marinette's romantic interest and also realised it was pointless in pointing out the obvious to the model when it would bring more hurt to Marinette.

So, she soldiered on and acted like her heart wasn't breaking. She tried to avoid all reminders of love but that was difficult when she became Ladybug. At least a third of the akumas over the weeks were love related. A disenchanted boy rejected by his girlfriend. A bride left at the altar. A forbidden crush from a high school student to his teacher.

Then there was the flirting from Chat Noir. Normally she brushed it off with a roll of her eyes but her tolerance had dwindled to almost none. Ladybug had snapped at her partner a number of times, shocking him into sullen silence. At the end of each battle she apologised to him, stating that she was stressed but refused to elaborate.

The problem with Chat Noir was that he wouldn't let the matter drop. He wanted to help fix whatever it was causing her distress. But she could hardly suggest that he go and cataclysm a few Adrien Agreste billboards. That was bound to raise more questions and cause further drama.

At the same time, she couldn't blow off her partner's concern forever. During their previous akuma fight, Ladybug had agreed to meet Chat Noir on a secluded rooftop for a heart to heart. It was the least she could do after how snappy she'd been with him. Still, it wasn't something the heroine was looking forward to.

Transforming on her bed, Ladybug emerged from her skylight window and onto the small balcony overlooking Paris. With ease, she leapt to the railing and into the night. She didn't take a direct path to her destination, instead she looped around as a usual precaution in protecting her true identity.

Ladybug wasn't surprised to find Chat Noir waiting for her. Any occasion that called for them to meet up outside of akuma fights was always the same. The blonde boy was grinning wide while leaning on his extended staff, watching her with his usual eagerness. As she landed on the flat rooftop, Chat Noir tamed his smile to something smaller. She could only assume he was trying to rein back his excitement at seeing her.

After Adrien's indirect rejection, Ladybug had started to consider Chat Noir's point of view a little more. While she'd been unintentionally terse with him, she was quick to put herself in his place. It was why she always made sure to apologise to him.

"Good evening, milady." He said with an elegant bow, taking her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles before she had the opportunity to pull it away.

Irritation flared briefly within her but Ladybug pushed it away, determined to play nice with her partner. "How are you, Chat?"

"I'm great now you're here. But more importantly, how are you?" His cat ears turned outward, as if her lack of happiness caused him distress.

Ladybug shrugged as she walked towards him. Dropping down to sit at the edge of the roof to dangle her legs over the side. Chat Noir quickly joined her.

"Something has gotten you down," Chat prompted as he gave her a nudge with his elbow.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she peered up at the dark sky and the clouds which periodically concealed the stars. He deserved some explanation regarding the truth or at least fragment of it. "Remember how I told you there was a boy?"

The sway of Chat Noir's legs stopped. "Yes."

"I told him how I feel in my own way. He, um, doesn't reciprocate my feelings." She glanced over to her partner whose gaze was firmly set upon her. "That's why I've been short with you. I'm sorry, you didn't deserve my anger and it was never meant to be directed at you."

Chat Noir reached out to place a comforting hand on her knee. "He broke your heart. Now I understand." Fury had his masked eyebrows drawing down. "What an idiot. Honestly, milady, any boy who rejects you is a moron."

Ladybug couldn't help but smile at his comment. His loyalty was unwavering but that probably had to do with his own feelings. She continued on. "I was the fool, I knew he was out of my league but I still hoped."

"You are far from being a fool, bugaboo, and it sounds to me like he wasn't in your league." The hand on her knee gave a slight squeeze. "Do you, um, need a hug?"

Closing her eyes briefly, Ladybug gave a nod and turned towards her partner. Lean but strong arms encircled her and the heroine buried her face into the crook of his neck, exhaling slowly as she relaxed into his embrace. Chat Noir's chin sat lightly against her opposite shoulder. "I will always be here for you, you know that don't you?"

"I know," she answered into the leather of his suit. "Thank you, Chat. I think I needed to hear that."

"Anytime," he replied as he brushed the lightest of kisses on her temple.

She considered giving him a playful shove in response but his move wasn't an inappropriate one. Chat Noir was merely expressing his support with affection. Ladybug inwardly smiled, the boy would probably faint if she returned the gesture in kind. Regardless, Ladybug remained in Chat Noir's arms for a while longer, simply enjoying his company and soaking in the comfort he was more than willing to give.


	3. Chapter 3

_Once again, thank you for the reviews and support. I was hoping to get this up sooner but hey it's here now. I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think in the review box._

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Chapter Three

Over the following month, life continued on for Marinette. With her mind less occupied by thoughts of Adrien she was able to focus more on her school work and in getting her homework done between akuma attacks. Alya had been gently nudging her towards spending more time with Kitty Section, while less than subtly dropping Luka's name in passing.

Although Marinette liked Luka and knew he did seem interested in her as a potential girlfriend, her heart simply wasn't in it. She needed time to recover from her unrequited love for Adrien. The one person she found most soothing was, to her surprise, Chat Noir. Of course, she had to be Ladybug in his presence. While he knew her as Marinette, she could hardly go to him in her civilian form. Instead they met most evenings after their supposed allotted bedtime to sit and talk.

Neither of the superheroes disclosed anything particularly personal, yet there was something intrinsically right in opening up to her partner. Perhaps it came down to the fact that they had to trust in each other on a regular basis. Ladybug knew that Chat Noir would be by her side or at her back during times of crisis.

Yet life was never black and white. Nor was it fair. Plus, Hawkmoth was a jerk for being, well, Hawkmoth. Once again Adrien was the focal point of another akuma attack. And Ladybug had to sweep in to rescue him. Literally. Even now she held the gorgeous model in her arms, ignoring the flush to his cheeks, as she speedily raced across the rooftops while dodging projectiles.

Dark pigtails bobbed as she searched the skyline for her partner. "Where is Chat Noir? He should be here."

Not realising she was thinking out loud, Adrien answered. "Maybe he was delayed. You know, like he's in a situation where he can't transform."

Ladybug would have let out a sigh under other circumstances but she needed the oxygen to keep going. After another ten minutes of evasion, the pair swung through Adrien's open bedroom window and dropped to the floor, ducking down as the akuma raced passed. Once the noisy blasts quietened with the departure of their pursuer, Adrien shot to his feet.

"I should find somewhere to hide, that way you won't have your hands full." The model stated as he dashed across the room locked himself in the bathroom.

For a moment Ladybug simply stood and stared. What was it with Adrien and his bathroom? With a shrug, the heroine launched herself back outside and continued the fight. Only then did her partner show.

"Where have you been?" Ladybug demanded as the pair tucked in behind the cover of a large potted plant by the rooftop pool of a hotel.

"I had some, ah, trouble on the way to helping you."

Ladybug didn't have the time to grill him on what the delay was. They needed to shut this villain down and restore order to the city.

Chat continued, "Any idea where the akuma is?"

After a brief discussion, the pair got down to business and did their job. With Chat Noir by her side they defeated of the akuma in no time. Magic restored order, fists were bumped and farewells made. Chat Noir was in the process of reassuring the akuma victim as Ladybug departed. She needed to leave first since she had used her power before Chat.

As she swung her way across the rooftops, she remembered that she should probably check on Adrien. In the past, she would have been elated at the thought. Now there was a mixture of dread and resentment. But Adrien had no idea what emotional grief he'd caused her, so Ladybug schooled her features as she dropped back through the window.

Striding confidently to the bathroom, the heroine lifted her fist to knock but the door was slightly ajar. "Adrien?" she called as she flattened her hand on the door to open it further. The room was empty. "Where did he go?" she wondered out loud.

As she was about to turn away, there was a thud of someone bounding through the window. A certain someone dressed in black who dropped to the floor with a rolling flip to land on all fours.

"Chat Noir?" she asked in astonishment. "Why are you here?"

That messy blonde head snapped up with green masked eyes wide. "Ladybug, um, hi. I came here to check on Adrien. Like you have, I assume?"

Waving a hand around the room, she replied, "He doesn't appear to be here."

Rising to his feet, Chat rubbed at his nape while looking nervous. "I guess he must be somewhere else in the mansion. I'm sure he's fine."

Ladybug's eyebrows lowered at her partner's obvious discomfort. Why was he so edgy? "Are you okay, Chat?"

"Okay? Yes, I sure am. I'm fine."

His rushed words had her masked eyes narrowing. But her earrings chirped in warning.

"Oh look, your earrings are down to two dots. You should probably find somewhere safe to drop your transformation."

Reaching absently to touch her earrings, Ladybug nodded. "Yeah, I should, and you're right. I'm sure Adrien is fine." Forcing a smile, she added, "After all, he always is."

Chat Noir frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing." Ladybug said as she backed away, heading for the bedroom window. Chat Noir stalked after her with a serious look on his face as he watched her jumped to the sill. Giving him a quick wave, she pulled her yoyo from her hip. "Until next time, bye."

Only as she looked back did Ladybug realise that Chat Noir was still standing in Adrien's bedroom as she rushed away. And he didn't appear to be in any hurry to leave. She found herself wondering why that was.


	4. Chapter 4

_We had a close call last chapter, where Ladybug was so close to learning Chat Noir's true identity! Will the strangeness of her partner's arrival at Adrien's bedroom continue to haunt her or will she assume it was __nothing? Find out soon! _

_Thanks for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting!_

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Chapter Four

In the confines of her bedroom, Marinette sat contemplating the exchange with Chat Noir. Something odd had lingered in the atmosphere between them. While he claimed he'd come to check on Adrien too, she couldn't understand why. He hadn't been there when Adrien had been in dire trouble, nor could she remember mentioning anything to Chat in regards to the model as Ladybug. There was no reason for him to have made that impromptu visit.

At school in the following days, she considered approaching Adrien to ask him about his brush with danger but couldn't bring herself to do so. Not that it really mattered. Chloe and Lila had fussed over Adrien, the latter seeming desperate to taint Ladybug's part in the whole ordeal via subtle jabs. Nothing new there.

Nino had given his buddy some crap about being carried bridal style by his ideal woman and Marinette had to hide just how much that comment made her bristle. Adrien's _ideal woman _was sitting in the same room as him, minus costume, and he'd bluntly blown her off.

Alya took some time to interview Adrien over lunch and Marinette sat and listened. He gushed on about how wonderful Ladybug was in coming to his rescue, stating that she was completely amazing. At no point did he mention Chat Noir in his retelling, and so Marinette could only assume the superhero had departed the mansion before Adrien returned to his room.

Just to be sure, Marinette approached Adrien once the interview was done. "I noticed you didn't mention Chat Noir during the interview."

The blonde raked a hand through his hair, dropping it to rub the back of his neck. "Well, he didn't show up until Ladybug got me to safety. But I didn't think it worth mentioning. I mean everyone knows how awesome Chat Noir is already anyway."

A dark eyebrow arose at his statement. "Did you see him at all?"

"Um, no. I didn't. As I said, I'd gone into hiding by that point. I didn't want to be in the way while the superheroes did their job."

"Fair enough," Marinette uttered with a nod then quickly made her excuses to part ways from her ex-crush. As she turned, the dark-haired girl completely missed the hurt on Adrien's face at being brushed off by one of his closest friends.

During afternoon classes, Marinette was faintly aware of a certain blonde head turning to peek over his shoulder at regular intervals but paid it little mind. She was far too focussed on the lessons to really take in Adrien's odd behaviour. It was only when he slipped a folded note on her desk that she paid attention.

Carefully placing her fingers over the note, she drew her hand back and to the edge of the desk before opening the folded paper to read what was inside. The model's confident script was elegant as ever. _Can we talk after school?_

Marinette stared at the note for a moment before tucking it into her pocket. Her treacherous heart picked up in speed but her mind wasn't swayed as easily. In the past she would have been imagining the possibilities of love declarations from Adrien. Now she briefly pondered his possible reasons and decided it was likely about their earlier conversation, the one revolving around Chat Noir. Glancing at Alya, she shrugged at the girl's questioning look and returned her attention back to the lesson.

The final bell came all too soon. Marinette steadily packed up her things and shuffled into the line of students exiting the room. Somehow Adrien managed to nudge his way into the queue, walking by her side as they left the room and began descending the stairs.

"You read my note?" He asked with a cursory glance to the side.

"Yes. What did you want to talk about?"

Adrien inhaled sharply as he looked to her again. "Us."

It was a good thing Marinette was holding onto the railing as she almost missed a step at his answer. "Us?" she asked feeling dumbfounded, "What do you mean?"

"You seem distant lately. I wondered if I'd upset you in some way."

Dark eyebrows lifted in surprise. Had he actually noticed how much his reaction to her letter stung? Marinette was about to respond but the model continued talking.

"I don't recall saying or doing anything in particular but I'm sorry if I did. If you're just feeling stressed, you know you can talk to me anytime."

Marinette's molars ground together. He couldn't think of anything in particular? Was he serious! Exhaling slowly, she released the pressure on her teeth. This was oblivious Adrien. Yet he was aware enough to know that she was giving him the cold shoulder. Letting out a sigh, Marinette decided there was no point in getting angry at Adrien. She was the one to cover up that she truly did want him as more than a friend. He was only working with the information she'd given him.

So, Marinette gave him a plausible explanation. "I was falling behind on a lot of my homework. Akuma attacks and the like kind of set me back."

Adrien nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean. Sometimes I could swear that Hawkmoth knows when our assignments are due and purposefully strikes when we're stressing about it."

"Negative emotions and all that, I suppose." Marinette said as she glanced away. "Anyway, I've been devoting most of my time and energy to study. Plus, I've been trying to avoid distractions."

Cocking his head to the side, Adrien's eyebrows drew together. "You shouldn't think of friendships as distractions. Besides, I'm happy to study with you if you want."

Oh, how she would have fallen all over herself if he had told her that in the past! "That's really nice of you to offer, Adrien. But I tend to get more done when I'm alone."

"Okay, but remember the offer still stands. Anytime you want me, just call."

She inwardly groaned. Right there, that was the stuff which kept her infatuation with the model going for so long. Those innocent comments that could mean so much more…but didn't.

"Thanks Adrien."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

With her mood decidedly soured by her exchange with Adrien, Marinette went straight to her room when she got home. For once she didn't have any homework that was in dire need of being done which meant she had time to pace.

Tikki watched her chosen with sad eyes. "Adrien doesn't realise he's upset you. Don't be angry at him. He tried to apologise, even though he had no clue what he might have said to cause offense."

Marinette paused in her pacing and exhaled hard. "While the logical part of my brain knows that, I still get angry when I think of what he said to Chloe."

"That's understandable."

"It just really sucks how he's still trying to be nice to me when all I want to do is avoid him."

"Your friendship means a lot to him."

Sitting down on her daybed, Marinette huffed her fringe away from her forehead. "I know. Part of me doesn't want to lose that friendship either but it's so hard when I'm hurting, Tikki."

"Moving on from things which mean a lot to us always is." The kwami added.

"I suppose time is the answer." Marinette let out an amused snort, "Or according to Alya, the answer is quality time spent with Luka."

"That might not be a bad thing," Tikki suggested.

Shaking her head, Marinette dropped it into her hands as she stared at the floor. "While I like Luka and I'm attracted to him, part of me feels like I'd be using him as a rebound and I don't think that's fair. He deserves better than that."

"Is it that or is someone else on your mind?"

Marinette lifted her head, puzzlement lined her features. "Who else would there be?"

Tikki smirked, "Chat Noir."

"Chat Noir!" Marinette said incredulously, "You've got to be kidding!"

"You have been spending a lot of time together lately."

"I guess. He's just easy to talk to."

"Good communication and trust make for the best relationships," Tikki proclaimed.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Yet I can never know his true identity while Hawkmoth is a threat. Not exactly a great basis for a relationship."

"Ah, but he does understand why you have to get up and leave unexpectedly at the drop of a hat."

"True as that is, he won't know me without the mask so that vetos that entire argument."

"It won't always be that way, Marinette." Tikki stated.

The girl frowned, "What are you insinuating?"

"What I'm _suggesting_is that you give Chat Noir a chance now that you're not pining over Adrien. Chat adores you, plus he's a romantic and practically worships the ground you walk on."

Marinette's nose wrinkled. "But what if it all goes wrong? Then what happens?"

Tikki gave a secret little smile. "I suspect it will go all right. You just both need to be patient when it comes to the identity reveal."

The girl gave her kwami a sceptical look. "I thought you were all against me and Chat knowing too much about each other?"

"I want you to be safe but I also want you to be happy."

At that, Marinette gave a single nod. "Thanks, Tikki."

It was then that Sabine called out that dinner was ready and Marinette left to head downstairs. After eating and spending some time with her parents, the girl returned to her room. Restlessness continued to eat at her. Turning to Tikki, Marinette said, "I need to get out and run."

"Go ahead," The red kwami encouraged.

"Tikki, spots on." With that done, Ladybug exited her room and dashed off into the final light of evening. The streets were already illuminated and Ladybug took the opportunity to stay in the shadows of the rooftops.

After burning off some of her excess energy, the miraculous holder found a quiet rooftop to sit down on, leaning back against the wide expanse of a brick chimney. Lifting her face towards the sky, Ladybug took a moment to stare at the stars. But suddenly they blinked away as a familiar shadow scooted over her head.

Chat Noir landed before her, shorted his staff to a baton and placed it at his back. "Well, well, I didn't expect to see you out and about, milady."

"I was feeling restless and decided a jaunt across the city sounded like a good idea."

Her partner let out a mock gasp and placed a gloved hand over his heart. "And you didn't invite me?"

"There was no akuma so I didn't think you'd be transformed," she admitted truthfully.

"Ah well, I suppose I can forgive you this time."

"You're so generous, Chat."

He laughed at that, then dropped down to sit beside her. "Admiring the stars?"

Glancing back at them she nodded, "Yeah, I suppose. It's been a long day."

Feline eyes studied her with curiosity. "Must be the day for it. Somehow, I think I've managed to offend a friend of mine. I got a letter from her a while back, one that I thought was a confession of deeper feelings towards me but she said it was all a joke. Now she seems distant with me and I don't know how to fix it."

The similarity to her own situation with Adrien was astounding, to the point that Ladybug's mouth fell open in shock.

Chat Noir cocked his head to the side, "Are you surprised that other girls find me irresistible?"

That had Ladybug rolling her eyes. "Would it be shocking to say that I find it hard to believe?"

"Absolutely," he grinned, not offended at all. But the glee slipped away to seriousness. "She's important to me, this friend. In my personal life it's hard to find people who are genuine, people I feel I can trust. I don't want to lose her."

Ladybug turned to face Chat Noir, placing a hand over his as it rested on his thigh. "Speaking from my own experience, there's a high chance that what she wrote in that letter was true but for some reason she got scared that you were going to reject her. Instead of telling you that, she tried to protect herself by saying it was a joke. Chances are she's afraid of losing your friendship too."

"That makes a lot of sense," he said on a sigh. "Truth be told, I had wondered if that might be it but I didn't want to believe it. She's an amazing girl, but my romantic interest lies elsewhere." The leather of his glove creaked as he flipped over his hand and squeezed her fingers.

Ladybug's immediate impulse was to tug her hand free from his but the conversation with Tikki made her hesitate. Instead she locked eyes with him then sat back at the burning intensity there. Swallowing, Ladybug quickly resumed the discussion about his friend.

"Maybe there's a way you can let her down gently but also show her that she's still important to you. Think of something you enjoy doing together. You could use that to ease into the subject."

Chat Noir dropped his attention to her hand still held by his. With his free hand, he traced the circumference of the black dot on the back of her hand with a single finger. "Something is nagging at me that trying to stay close at this point is more likely to drive her away."

"Then listen to your instincts. Be there for her if she needs you. Give her breathing room if you think she needs it."

"But what if I want to be close?" Chat Noir said with a low rumble as he leaned towards her. The elongated pupils of his feline eyes growing wider.

Ladybug tugged her hand from his hold and placed it on his chest, pushing him back. "Over-eagerness can be rather disconcerting." She tapped him on the tip of his nose with her finger. "Breathing room is important, Chat."

"But if I don't make a move, how else am I supposed to understand her stance on me?"

"Observe from a distance, Chat, and why do I get the feeling we're no longer talking about your friend?" Ladybug asked with a raised eyebrow, lifted with her mask.

His mouth turned up at one corner while cockiness radiated from his gaze. "Because I'm here with you and I want to know everything about your feelings too, milady."

Shaking her head, Ladybug couldn't help but admire his persistence. Even if it was annoying at times. "I'm feeling that it's late and I need to get home."

"Can I come with you?" he asked with a touch of playfulness.

Ladybug couldn't contain her chuckle. "Honestly, if I ever said yes, what would you do?"

"Follow you before you changed your mind." He grinned.

"Keep hoping, Chat," she laughed as she stood. "Keep hoping."

* * *

_Things seem to be progressing somewhat with Chat Noir and Ladybug even if they are still clueless! Thanks for reading!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

As Ladybug reached for her yoyo she remembered that she had a question for Chat Noir. Turning to him, she raised her hand. "Wait, Chat." He paused to look at her. "I need to ask you something."

A rakish grin stretched across his lips, "Now I'm intrigued. But here's a hint, if you're asking me on a date, the answer is yes."

Letting out a snort, Ladybug shook her head. "That wasn't what I was going to ask."

"Oh," he said crossing his arms and leaning his shoulder against the closest chimney.

Drawing in a deep breath, Ladybug blurted out, "Why did you go to check on Adrien Agreste?"

Chat Noir's posture changed, gone was the relaxed façade, instead he looked away as his jaw clenched. "Well, I, um…" he pushed off the chimney with his elbow, rubbing at the back of his neck as he looked everywhere but at her.

Ladybug took a step closer to him, waiting.

"…I thought it best to see if he was okay. Yeah."

That final affirmation to his own statement was odd. "But you weren't even there when he was in danger. Where were you, Chat?"

"I was…busy."

She didn't miss the way his eyes swept down her arms to settle on her clasped hands. He looked almost guilty. Then it dawned on her, "Were you with a girl?"

His blonde head snapped up and his exposed cheeks darkened, "W-Why would you think that?"

Smiling to herself, Ladybug wrapped her arms around her torso and approached him. "I think that because you look awfully awkward."

Masked green eyes blinked in shock. "It's not what you think. There's nobody else."

Ladybug stared at him, perplexed. What he said didn't really make any sense, but then she wasn't really meaning to delve into his personal life. Although the idea of him being interested in someone else made her unexpectedly bristle. She quickly shook off the feeling, she was tracking away from what she really wanted to know. "If you say so."

Chat looked ready to fire back an argument in his own defence but she waved him off.

"What I want to know," she added, "is if you managed to find to Adrien after I left."

Surprise lit his features. "I did."

"What did he say when you spoke to him?" It was a loaded question and she was intrigued to see how he answered.

Again, Chat Noir looked anxious and his tail flicked at his heels. "I didn't have time to say anything much because I had to transform back."

Not the answer she was hoping for. "You didn't seem to be in any hurry to leave when I left."

He wet his bottom lip, staring at her with a myriad of emotions flickering across his masked face. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

"Something doesn't add up, Chat."

Black gloved hands curled into fists then loosened. Chat Noir took a step towards her, his breathing speeding up as he met her stare, all playfulness long gone from his eyes. Something else shone there. Something like hope or eagerness. "Tell me what you're thinking."

But she couldn't define what it was that was niggling at her. Ladybug was missing something and it felt important. Chat shuffled closer as she stared at him, drawing so near he was looming over her, leaning into her space with anticipation. He seemed keen for her to know something. Was he friends with Adrien? She cocked her head to the side as she considered that thought.

But he was so close now that she could smell the scent of his leather costume, mixed with the faintest touch of sandalwood. Damn, he smelled good. To the point it was distracting her from her thoughts. As her eyes met his she was certain he'd somehow edged closer.

His voice was the barest coarse whisper, "Tell me."

The sound of his rasp sent an excited chill down her spine and Ladybug's lips parted in surprise at her unexpected response to her partner. Suddenly her eyes were roving over his face, as if seeking an answer. Yet as she scrutinised his features she began to realise how symmetrical they were, how…perfect. He was so utterly familiar yet she was seeing him anew. And he was devastatingly handsome, how had she not noticed that before?

Ladybug swallowed. This was not good. She could not be attracted to Chat Noir. This was Tikki's doing, she'd put the idea out there. Oh, who was she kidding? Chat hadn't changed, her perspective had.

Time seemed to stand still as her eyes tracked back to his. Elongated pupils were blown wide, his breathing was on the verge of erratic, yet Chat Noir remained still. Waiting. But what was he waiting for?

An answer. That's what he had wanted but Ladybug's mind was having trouble remembering what he'd asked her. "I-I…"

"Yes?" he rumbled with gentle encouragement, somehow narrowing the space between them even more.

"I…don't know what to think," she admitted on a whisper.

Chat Noir's gloved hands lifted to gently cradle her jaw. "Then don't think, milady. Feel." Slowly he edged his face to hers, and ever so tentatively brushed his lips on hers.

Something let go inside Ladybug, her frame relaxed and she placed her hands against her partner's chest to brace herself. The flurry of thoughts in her mind came to a standstill as Chat Noir's mouth moved against hers, gently exploring her lips as he pulled her closer with his hold on her jaw.

One of his hands slipped around the back of her head as he deepened the kiss, running his tongue against the seam of her lips, seeking entrance to her mouth. On instinct she opened for him and he groaned into her mouth as his tongue found hers. The remaining hand on her jaw, dropped to the small of her back, pressing her body against his. Thighs to thighs. Belly to belly. Chest to chest, but only after Ladybug snaked her hands up to loop around his broad shoulders.

Yet the need to breathe had them pulling back, panting hard to suck in much needed oxygen. It was then that Ladybug suddenly came to her senses. She could not fall for Chat Noir. She loosened her arms around him and prepared to step back, but her partner wasn't ready to let go. Oh no, he was smiling at her with such tenderness.

"I'm so glad you figured it out, milady." He beamed.

"Figured what out?" she asked, stupefied.

Chat Noir gave her a cheeky smirk, arching an eyebrow in amusement. "Oh, we're playing that game?"

She continued to stare at him blankly.

The smirk gradually faded as Chat Noir took in her mystified expression. "You mean you…that is…" he bit his lip, "…you have to know. The way you looked at me, it was different."

Ladybug dropped her arms from his shoulders and placed them on his chest, gently pushing him away as she stepped out of his embrace. "I don't know what came over me."

He looked pained. "But you figured it out, you had to. Why I was late, where I was, why I was in my own room."

That last sentence echoed in Ladybug's brain over and over until the pieces fell into place. Blue eyes widened and she took a step back from Chat Noir. So many things suddenly made sense. Yet at the same time, Ladybug felt her bottom lip quiver with the tidal wave of emotion that slammed through her. Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste and it felt like her reality had suddenly splintered.

* * *

_Sorry for the long delay between chapters. Life is certainly challenging for us all at the moment. I hope you're staying safe and healthy. _

_As for Ladybug, how do you think she'll react now she's figured out her partner's identity? _


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Chat Noir extended his gloved hand towards her, almost desperate to keep her close. Ladybug considered shying away but her brain was in overload. Chat Noir's words, they were implying he was Adrien Agreste. No, that couldn't be right. Could it?

Blue eyes narrowed as she stared at her partner's worried face. Her gaze lowered to his lips which were pressed together tightly. Lips which had kissed her. Blinking that thought away, Ladybug dropped her head, shaking it in an attempt to clear her thoughts and start afresh.

"Ladybug, I…"

She raised her hand, pressing two fingers to his lips to silence him. Her eyes continued to rove over his face, a face she was so familiar with due to their partnership, but was there more to it than that? She'd studied Adrien's features in great detail and as she looked deeper she realised that Chat Noir had the same perfect teeth, the same supple lips and the same elegant nose as Adrien. His mask covered a great deal of his face and the feline eyes were so alien in comparison to regular eyes, but the irises were the same colour as Adrien's.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Ladybug realised the truth. Chat Noir really was Adrien Agreste. That bombshell had her knees weakening, making her reach out to grab Chat's arms to steady herself. Before her was the boy who unwittingly broke her heart and now she understood why. Adrien wasn't interested in anyone else because he was Chat Noir, and Chat Noir claimed to love Ladybug.

Some unconscious part of her wanted to rejoice but she was far too shell-shocked. Feline eyes raked over her face. "Breathe milady, it's okay. I mean it was bound to happen sooner or later. The identity reveal, that is. If anything, it should make things easier for us. You'll know where to find me now if you need me."

It was clear that Chat Noir was nervous, heck his babbling was clue enough. His usual self-assurance seemed to have flown out the window as he held onto her elbows, as if he were afraid she'd disappear if he let go. Blue eyes lifted to meet green. For a moment Ladybug was stumped, the expression on Chat's face was practically a mirror of how she felt when under the full intensity of Adrien's attention: frazzled, anxious and desperate to make a good impression.

Some of the tension left her petite frame as she stared at him, and her mouth started moving on its own. "You're him."

Chat Noir leaned closer as his masked eyebrows lowered in concern. "That's not a bad thing, is it?"

"It's…it's unexpected." She managed to utter.

"Please don't be angry with me, I thought you had genuinely worked it out." His feline ears were pulled backward in evident worry.

"But I already know you outside the mask," she blabbed without thinking.

"You do?" he asked seeming flummoxed.

"We go to school together, heck we're friends," she added before realising how much information she was spilling. Ladybug tried to pull free from his arms but he held firm.

Green eyes burned into hers with scorching intensity, as if he were trying to read the thoughts from her very mind. As he continued to stare, she watched as his eyebrows suddenly lifted and his feline ears shot forward. "Marinette?" he whispered in shock.

The panic must have shown in her eyes as she remained silent.

"I'm right, aren't I?" He continued to study her, his eyes darting over her features as the pieces fell into place for him. "The letter," he suddenly gasped, "you said you meant it." A fragile hope lit his features.

"You said it was garbage," she snapped.

Chat Noir's head shot back, stunned. "I never said that."

"Chloe asked you is that the usual garbage and you said it was."

Shaking his head adamantly, Chat pursed his lips. "You must have gotten the wrong impression. I would never badmouth something like that."

Ladybug felt her conviction crumbling. Everything about Chat Noir's demeanour screamed that he was telling the truth. "But…" the rest of her sentence died in her mouth, she didn't know what to say. She'd thought the worst of Adrien but what if she'd been wrong? Thinking back, she suddenly remembered that the bell had rung, cutting off what Adrien was saying to Chloe. Lifting her head, she locked eyes with Chat. "So, what did you really think?"

A gentle smile settled across his lips. "I thought it was very sweet," he ducked his head then looked at her through his blonde bangs. "But now, knowing the full extent of who it was from," he breathed in deeply, "I just want to read it over and over again."

Surprise had her masked eyes widening. "You kept it?"

"Of course. It was from someone dear to me. I just hadn't realised exactly how dear until now."

Ladybug swallowed, unsure what to do. "So, um…what does that mean now?"

Chat Noir slid one of his hands up her arm, over her shoulder to cradle the back of her head. "It means I'm even more smitten with you then I was before."

"Even though I'm Marinette?"

"Especially because you're Marinette."

The pair smiled at each other shyly, easing closer to the other until finally their lips met. This time Ladybug kissed Chat Noir with all the love and adoration she felt for him, in both guises. The relief of knowing that her feelings were reciprocated made her want to shout her joy to the world, but right now, she was simply happy to be in her partner's arms.

* * *

The following day, Marinette was practically walking on air as she entered the school grounds. She was so lost in her blissful thoughts, she almost missed the green envelope sitting inside her locker as she retrieved her textbooks.

Confused, she pried it open and pulled out the page from inside. There written in elegant script was a note which made her smile:

_Dearest Marinette, _

_In case you weren't aware, my heart is yours. But I'm hoping for a fair trade. _

_Will you be my girlfriend?_

_Love Adrien._

Grinning from ear to ear, she looked up to find the sender of the note leaning on her locker door. "So, what do you think?"

Marinette swept the object of her affection into her arms, kissing him on the cheek as she answered. "I love it, and the answer is yes."

Matching her grin, Adrien wasted no time in kissing his new girlfriend. But it was cut short by the sudden screech of "NOOOOOO!" from Chloe.

The pair looked at Chloe, each other and shrugged. Much to Marinette's satisfaction, Adrien ignored the brat and resumed kissing her until the bell rang.

* * *

_It took me a lot longer to get this story finished than I anticipated. Thank you for your patience and for taking the time to read it. I hope you enjoyed it. _


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